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Activity locations, residential segregation and the significance of residential neighbourhood boundary perceptions

Author

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  • Nicolo P Pinchak

    (The Ohio State University, USA)

  • Christopher R Browning

    (The Ohio State University, USA)

  • Catherine A Calder

    (The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Bethany Boettner

    (The Ohio State University, USA)

Abstract

The inadequacies of residential census geography in capturing urban residents’ routine exposures have motivated efforts to more directly measure residents’ activity spaces. In turn, insights regarding urban activity patterns have been used to motivate alternative residential neighbourhood measurement strategies incorporating dimensions of activity space in the form of egocentric neighbourhoods – measurement approaches that place individuals at the centre of their own residential neighbourhood units. Unexamined, however, is the extent to which the boundaries of residents’ own self-defined residential neighbourhoods compare with census-based and egocentric neighbourhood measurement approaches in aligning with residents’ routine activity locations. We first assess this question, examining whether the boundaries of residents’ self-defined residential neighbourhoods are in closer proximity to the coordinates of a range of activity location types than are the boundaries of their census and egocentric residential neighbourhood measurement approaches. We find little evidence that egocentric or, crucially, self-defined residential neighbourhoods better align with activity locations, suggesting a division in residents’ activity locations and conceptions of their residential neighbourhoods. We then examine opposing hypotheses about how self-defined residential neighbourhoods and census tracts compare in socioeconomic and racial composition. Overall, our findings suggest that residents bound less segregated neighbourhoods than those produced by census geography, but self-defined residential neighbourhoods still reflect a preference towards homophily when considering areas beyond the immediate environment of their residence. These findings underscore the significance of individuals’ conceptions of residential neighbourhoods to understanding and measuring urban social processes such as residential segregation and social disorganisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolo P Pinchak & Christopher R Browning & Catherine A Calder & Bethany Boettner, 2021. "Activity locations, residential segregation and the significance of residential neighbourhood boundary perceptions," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(13), pages 2758-2781, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:58:y:2021:i:13:p:2758-2781
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098020966262
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. repec:nas:journl:v:115:y:2018:p:7735-7740 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Malia Jones & Anne Pebley, 2014. "Redefining Neighborhoods Using Common Destinations: Social Characteristics of Activity Spaces and Home Census Tracts Compared," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(3), pages 727-752, June.
    3. Basta, Luke A. & Richmond, Therese S. & Wiebe, Douglas J., 2010. "Neighborhoods, daily activities, and measuring health risks experienced in urban environments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(11), pages 1943-1950, December.
    4. Kwan, Mei-Po, 2009. "From place-based to people-based exposure measures," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 1311-1313, November.
    5. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Lawrence F. Katz, 2016. "The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children: New Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 855-902, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jessica Finlay & Joy Jang & Michael Esposito & Leslie McClure & Suzanne Judd & Philippa Clarke, 2023. "‘My neighbourhood is fuzzy, not hard and fast’: Individual and contextual associations with perceived residential neighbourhood boundaries among ageing Americans," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(1), pages 85-108, January.

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